Rachael Leigh Cook Finally Reveals Where a Josie and the Pussycats Sequel Stands

Here’s one for the ‘that movie flopped but wait, now everyone loves it’ file: Josie and the Pussycats—the 2001 live-action version, not the cartoon or the comics—has pulled off a slow-burn comeback with a fresh wave of younger fans. I know, you probably remember it mostly as ‘that movie with Rachael Leigh Cook and Tara Reid,’ but stick with me, because it actually gets weirder (and a bit more interesting) the deeper you look.

From Box Office Dud to Generation Z Darling

Flashback to 2001: Josie and the Pussycats hit theaters with Cook, Tara Reid, and Rosario Dawson—three young stars who were off recent hits like She’s All That, American Pie, and Down to You. Sounds like a recipe for success, right? Except, back then, the movie crashed and burned, barely scraping together $14.8 million.

Fast forward to now, and the film is living its best afterlife as a beloved cult classic. Why the sudden love? It’s not just nostalgia. Over the years, people started appreciating that Josie is kind of a weird mainstream anomaly: it spends two hours roasting capitalism, goes overboard with product placement (on purpose), and has an absolutely killer soundtrack—thanks largely to Letters to Cleo frontwoman Kay Hanley providing Josie’s singing voice. In hindsight, it’s a movie that was way ahead of its time about pop culture, advertising, and, well, just being in on the joke.

The Obligatory ‘Will There Be a Sequel?’ Section

So now that the movie has a new cult following—and with every piece of old intellectual property showing up on streaming or getting a reboot—it’s natural to wonder: could there ever be a Josie and the Pussycats 2?

According to Rachael Leigh Cook, don’t hold your breath. Here’s her take:

'I don’t think I would need to touch it myself. I’m proud of what we made. Maybe if they did some time traveling, maybe there’s something that could be weird and interesting… But I do not think that there’s any talk of anything like that. It took long enough for people to get it the first time. We’re not gonna push our luck, I don’t think.'

Cook’s actually pretty open about her feelings: the movie bombed, then slowly found its people, and now she’s just glad it’s finally getting its due:

'People are rediscovering that movie after it being considered an absolute box-office flop and only getting its flowers as it were in the last couple of years, maybe the last decade or so... Better late than never. I’m just grateful for it. It’s easy to make a movie that just sort of falls into the abyss. I’ve certainly made a lot of those, and I’m not saying they all deserve the Josie resurrection and treatment, but I’m just glad that this very deserving movie ultimately found an audience.'

But Wait—There’s Actual Archie News

While Bets, Josie, and the gang aren’t coming back to the big screen (at least not yet), there is a new Archie movie brewing, and it’s got some heavyweight nerd cred behind it. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller—the directing duo behind the Jump Street movies, Spider-Verse, and Project Hail Mary—are producing, with a script from Tom King. No, not the comic book Tom King, but yes, that Tom King who’s done some interesting superhero runs.

Here’s what Lord and Miller had to say, in typical ‘very excited filmmakers’ fashion:

'We are longtime fans of Archie, Veronica, Betty and the gang in all of their iterations. When we heard Tom King's take on the classic material, we instantly thought it made sense as an event movie for all audiences—both lifelong fans and a whole new generation. We’re so excited to bring these beloved characters to the big screen.'

Bottom Line

• Josie and the Pussycats flopped in 2001, but is now a cult favorite for its anti-consumerist satire and catchy soundtrack.
• Rachael Leigh Cook has no plans (or hope) for a sequel, but she’s genuinely happy the movie finally found an appreciative audience.
• There’s a new Archie movie coming, with Lord and Miller producing, and Tom King on script duty. But for now, the Josie sequel is just a fun what-if.